Sunday, January 31, 2016

When Thou didst descend unto death, O Life Immortal, then didst
Thou slay Hades with the lightning of Thy Divinity. And when Thou didst
also raise the dead out of the nethermost depths, all the powers in the
Heavens cried out: O Life-giver, Christ our God, glory be to Thee.

Seasonal Kontakion in the First Tone

Your birth sanctified a Virgin's womb and properly blessed the
hands of Symeon. Having now come and saved us O Christ our God, give
peace to Your commonwealth in troubled times and strengthen those in
authority, whom You love, as only the loving One.

Saturday, January 30, 2016

The Holy Martyr Theophilus the New was born and raised in
Constantinople. He was a commander of the Greek armies and a senator.
During a time of war with enemies of the Byzantine Empire, St Theophilus
was taken captive. The Arabs demanded he renounce Christ, but he
remained faithful to Orthodoxy. St Theophilus was imprisoned on Cyprus,
where he spent four years, after which he was beheaded in the year 784.

TROPARION - TONE 4

Your holy martyr Theophilus, O Lord, / Through his sufferings has
received an incorruptible crown from You, our God. / For having Your
strength, he laid low his adversaries, / And shattered the powerless
boldness of demons. / Through his intercessions, save our souls!

Friday, January 29, 2016

The Holy Martyrs Romanus, James, Philotheus, Hyperichius, Habib, Julian
and Parigoreas suffered in the year 297, during the persecution by
Diocletian (284-305), in the city of Samosata (in Syria on the River
Euphrates). They bravely denounced the senseless worship of idols, for
which they were arrested and given over to various terrible tortures.
Their bodies were scraped with iron, heavy iron fetters were hung around
their necks, and they were locked up in prison. Finally, nails were
driven into their heads while they were suspended on crosses.

TROPARION - TONE 4

Your holy martyrs Romanus, James, Philotheus, Hyperichius, Habib, Julian and Parigoreas, O Lord, / Through their sufferings have received
an incorruptible crown from You, our God. / For having Your strength, they
laid low their adversaries, / And shattered the powerless boldness of
demons. / Through their intercessions, save our souls!

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Commemorated on January 28
Saint Ephraim of Novy Torg, founder of the Sts Boris and Gleb
monastery in the city of Novy Torg, was a native of Hungary. Together
with his brothers, St Moses the Hungarian (July 26) and St George (in
Hungarian “Sandor,” pronounced “Shandor”), he quit his native land,
possibly because he was Orthodox.
Having come to Russia, all three
brothers entered into the service of the Rostov prince St Boris, son of
St Vladimir (July 15). St Ephraim’s brother George also perished in the
year 1015 at the River Alta, with holy Prince Boris. The murderers cut
off his head, and took the gold medallion which he had received from St
Boris. Moses managed to save himself by flight, and became a monk at the
Kiev Caves monastery.

St Ephraim, evidently in Rostov at this
time, and arriving at the place of the murder, found the head of his
brother and took it with him. Forsaking service at the princely court,
St Ephraim withdrew to the River Tvertsa in order to lead a solitary
monastic life.

After several other monks settled near him, he
founded a monastery in honor of the holy Passion-Bearers Boris and Gleb
in the year 1038. The brethren chose him to lead them. Near the
monastery, not far from a merchant’s road to Novgorod, a wanderer’s home
was built, where the poor and travelers stayed for free. St Ephraim
died in old age. His body was buried at the monastery he founded. The
head of his brother, St George was also placed in the grave, in
accordance with his last wishes. The relics of St Ephraim were uncovered
in the year 1572.

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

This great ecumenical teacher and hierarch died
in the city of Comana in the year 407 on his way to a place of exile.
He had been condemned by the intrigues of the empress Eudoxia because of
his daring denunciation of the vices ruling over Constantinople. The
transfer of his venerable relics was made in the year 438, thirty years
after the death of the saint during the reign of Eudoxia’s son emperor
Theodosius II (408-450).

St John Chrysostom had the warm love and
deep respect of the people, and grief over his untimely death lived on
in the hearts of Christians. St John’s disciple, St Proclus, Patriarch
of Constantinople (434-447), during services in the Church of Hagia
Sophia, preached a sermon praising St John. He said, “O John, your life
was filled with sorrow, but your death was glorious. Your grave is
blessed and reward is great, by the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus
Christ O graced one, having conquered the bounds of time and place! Love
has conquered space, unforgetting memory has annihilated the limits,
and place does not hinder the miracles of the saint.”

Those who
were present in church, deeply touched by the words of St Proclus, did
not allow him even to finish his sermon. With one accord they began to
entreat the Patriarch to intercede with the emperor, so that the relics
of St John might be brought back to Constantinople.

The emperor,
overwhelmed by St Proclus, gave his consent and gave the order to
transfer the relics of St John. But those he sent were unable to lift
the holy relics until the emperor realized that he had sent men to take
the saint’s relics from Comana with an edict, instead of with a prayer.
He wrote a letter to St John, humbly asking him to forgive his audacity,
and to return to Constantinople. After the message was read at the
grave of St John, they easily took up the relics, carried them onto a
ship and arrived at Constantinople.

The coffin with the relics
was placed in the Church of Holy Peace (Hagia Eirene). When Patriarch
Proclus opened the coffin, the body of St John was found to be
incorrupt. The emperor approached the coffin with tears, asking
forgiveness for his mother, who had banished St John. All day and night
people did not leave the coffin.

In the morning the coffin was
brought to the Church of the Holy Apostles. The people cried out,
“Father, take up your throne.” Then Patriarch Proclus and the clergy
standing by the relics saw St John open his mouth and say, “Peace be to
all.” Many of the sick were healed at his tomb.

The celebration of the transfer of the relics of St John Chrysostom was established in the ninth century.

TROPARION - TONE 8

Grace shining forth from your lips like a beacon has enlightened the
universe; / It has shone to the world the riches of poverty; / It has
revealed to us the heights of humility. / Teaching us by your words, O
Father John Chrysostom, / Intercede before the Word, Christ our God, to
save our souls.

KONTAKION - TONE 6

Having received divine grace from heaven, / You teach all men to adore
the one God in three persons. / O all-blessed John Chrysostom, we
rightly praise you, / For you are our teacher, revealing things divine!

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Commemorated on January 26
Saint Simeon the Elder was so named in order to distinguish
him from St Simeon the Stylite (September 1). He practiced asceticism in
Syria in the fifth century, and in his childhood years went out into
the Syrian wilderness and lived in a cave in complete solitude.

Unceasing
prayer, meditation, and contemplation of God were his constant
occupation. The ascetic ate only the grass which grew about his cave.
When people began to come to him to receive guidance, he wished to
preserve his silence, so he left his cave and settled on one of the
mountains of the Aman range. But here also his solitude was disturbed by
many visitors. St Simeon withdrew to Mount Sinai, where formerly the
Prophet Moses (September 4) received a revelation from God.

By
divine Providence, the holy ascetic returned to Aman after a short stay
on Sinai and founded two monasteries: one at the top of the mountain,
the other at its base. As head of these monasteries, St Simeon guided
the monks, warning them about the wiles of the Enemy of mankind, and he
taught them how to struggle against temptations. He inspired and
encouraged them in ascetic deeds, rousing them to think of their
salvation. Because of the holiness of his life St Simeon received from
God the gift of wonderworking.
After the many labors of his ascetic life, St Simeon departed to God around the year 390.

Monday, January 25, 2016

The holy Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev was the first bishop to be
tortured and slain by the Communists at the time of the Russian
Revolution.

Basil Nikephorovich Bogoyavlensky was born in the
province of Tambov of pious parents on January 1, 1848. His father, a
priest, was later murdered. The young Basil graduated from the
Theological Academy in Kiev in 1874, and taught in the Tambov seminary
for seven years before he was ordained to the holy priesthood.

His
wife died in 1886, and their only child died shortly thereafter. The
bereaved widower entered the Kozlov monastery in Tambov and was given
the name Vladimir. In 1888 he was consecrated bishop of Staraya Rus, and
served as a vicar bishop of the Novgorod diocese. In 1891 he was
assigned to the diocese of Samara. In those days people of his diocese
suffered from a cholera epidemic and a crop failure. Bishop Vladimir
devoted himself to caring for the sick and suffering, inspiring others
to follow his example.

In 1892 he became Archbishop of Kartalin
and Kahetin, then in 1898 he was chosen as Metropolitan of Moscow and
Kolomna. He served fifteen years in this position.

Metropolitan
Vladimir was distinguished by his compassion for the poor, and for
widows and orphans. He also tried to help alcoholics and those who had
abandoned the Church. The Metropolitan was also interested in the
education of children in school, especially those who were studying in
the theological schools.

In 1912, after the death of Metropolitan
Anthony, he was appointed Metropolitan of Petrograd, administering that
diocese until 1915. Because he disapproved of Rasputin, Metropolitan
Vladimir fell out of favor with the Tsar, and so he was transferred to
Kiev. On November 5, 1917 he who announced that St Tikhon (April 7) had
been elected as Patriarch of Moscow.

The “Ukrainian Congress” was
also calling for an autonomous Ukraine and for the creation of a
Ukrainian Church independent from the Church of Russia. Metropolitan
Vladimir suffered and grieved because of this question, warning that
such a division in the Church would allow its enemies to be victorious.
However, at the end of 1917, a Ukrainian Dominion was formed, and also a
separate Ukrainian church administration (“rada”) led by the retired
Archbishop Alexis Dorodnitzin. This uncanonical group forbade the
commemoration of Patriarch Tikhon during church services, and demanded
that Metropolitan Vladimir leave Kiev.

In January 1918 the civil
war came to Kiev, and the two forces vied for control of the city. Many
churches and monasteries were damaged by the cannon fire. The Bolsheviks
seized the Kiev Caves Lavra on January 23, and soldiers broke into the
churches. Monks were taken out into the courtyard to be stripped and
beaten. At six thirty on the night of January 25, five armed soldiers
and a sailor came looking for Metropolitan Vladimir. The
seventy-year-old hierarch was tortured and choked in his bedroom with
the chain of his cross. The ruffians tortured the Metropolitan and
demanded money.

When they emerged, the Metropolitan’s cell
attendant approached and asked for a blessing.The sailor pushed him
aside and told him, “Enough bowing to these blood-drinkers. No more of
it.” After blessing and kissing him, the Metropolitan said, “Good-bye,
Philip.” Then he walked calmly with his executioners, just as if he were
on his way to serve the Liturgy.

Metropolitan Vladimir was driven
from the monastery to the place of execution. As they got out of the
car, the holy martyr asked, “Do you intend to shoot me here?”

“Why not?” they replied.

After
praying for a short time and asking forgiveness for his sins,
Metropolitan Vladimir blessed the executioners, saying, “May God forgive
you.” Then several rifle shots were heard.

In the morning, some
women came to the gates of the Lavra and told the monks where the
Metropolitan’s body could be found. He was lying on his back, with
bullet wounds near his right eye and by his right collarbone. There were
also several cuts and gashes on the body, including a very deep chest
wound. The hieromartyr was carried into the Lavra church of St Michael,
where he had spent his last days at prayer.
In Moscow, the
All-Russian Church Council was in session when word came of Metropolitan
Vladimir’s death. Patriarch Tikhon and his clergy performed a Memorial
Service for the New Martyr Vladimir. A commission was formed to
investigate the circumstances of Metropolitan Vladimir’s murder, but it
was unable to carry out its duties because of the Revolution.The Council
decided that January 25, the day of his death, would be set aside for
the annual commemoration of all of Russia’s martyrs and confessors
killed by the Soviets.

The holy New Martyr Vladimir of Kiev was
glorified by the Orthodox Church of Russia in 1992. On the Sunday
closest to January 25 (the day of Metropolitan Vladimir’s martyrdom) we
also observe the Synaxis of Russia’s New Martyrs and Confessors.

Sunday, January 24, 2016

Commemorated on January 24
These holy martyrs travelled with St Xenia from Rome to
Milassa in Asia Minor. They remained with her when she founded a women’s
monastery, and agreed to live together as sisters and devote themselves
to the salvation of their souls.

Following the death of St Xenia, first one of her former servants died, then the other. They were buried at the saint’s feet.

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Commemorated on January 23
The main Feast of St Theoctistus is December 23. He was
glorified in 1664, because of the miraculous healings which took place
at his relics. In 1786, the relics of the saint were transferred to
Yuriev, where Archimandrite Photius built a chapel in his honor at the
local cathedral.

Friday, January 22, 2016

The Monk Martyr Anastasius, Deacon of the Kiev Caves, lived an ascetical
life in the Near Caves. The hieromonk Athanasius the Sooty calls him
brother of St Titus the Presbyter (February 27). In the manuscripts of
the saints he is called a deacon. In the Service to the Synaxis of the
Fathers of the Near Caves, it says that the Monk Martyr Anastasius
possessed such steadfastness in God, that he received everything he
asked for. His memory is celebrated also on September 28 and on the
second Sunday of Great Lent.
TROPARION - TONE 4

Your holy martyr Anastasius, O Lord, / Through his sufferings has
received an incorruptible crown from You, our God. / For having Your
strength, he laid low his adversaries, / And shattered the powerless
boldness of demons. / Through his intercessions, save our souls!

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Archimandrite John (Basil Maisuradze in the world) was born in the
town of Tskhinvali in Samachablo around 1882. He was raised in a peasant
family and taught to perform all kinds of handiwork. Basil was barely
in his teens when he helped Fr. Spiridon (Ketiladze), the main priest at
Betania Monastery, to restore the monastery between 1894 and 1896.

From
his youth Basil was eager to enter the monastic life, and in 1903,
according to God’s will, he moved to the Skete of St. John the
Theologian at Iveron Monastery on Mt. Athos. Among the brothers he was
distinguished for his simplicity and obedience. He was tonsured a monk
and named John in honor of St. John the Theologian, whom he revered
deeply and sought to emulate.

The monk John was soon ordained to
the priesthood. Throughout his life the holy father dedicated himself to
serving God and his brothers in Christ in hopes that his own life might
be fruitful for them.

Fr. John remained on Mt. Athos for
seventeen years. Then, due to the increasingly troubling circumstances
there, he left the Holy Mountain with the other Georgian monks sometime
between 1920 and 1921. He settled at Armazi Monastery outside of
Mtskheta, where the Bolsheviks had left just one monk to labor in
solitude. Once a band of armed Chekists broke into the monastery, led
both Fr. John and the other monk away, and shot them in the back.

Believing
them to be dead, they tossed them in a nearby gorge. A group of people
later discovered Fr. John’s nearly lifeless body and brought it to
Samtavro Monastery in Mtskheta. The other monk suffered only minor
injuries and returned to the monastery on his own.

When his
health had been restored, Fr. John went to Betania Monastery, where his
first spiritual father was still laboring. He was appointed abbot
shortly thereafter. Accustomed to hard work from his childhood, he
skillfully administered the agricultural labors of the monastery. When
visitors came to the monastery seeking advice or solace, Fr. John
welcomed them warmly, spreading a festal meal before them. He enjoyed
spending time with his guests, especially with children.

It is
said that he always had candy or a special treat to give to the little
ones. The children loved him so much that on the feast of St. John the
Theologian, while he was sprinkling the church with holy water, they
skipped around him and tried to tousle his hair. The children’s parents
were ashamed, but Fr. John cheerfully assured them that it was fitting
to be so joyous on a feast day.

Truly Fr. John was endowed with a
deep love for young people, and he was also blessed with the divine
gifts of prophecy and wonder-working. Once a certain Irakli Ghudushauri,
a student at Moscow Theological Seminary, visited him at the monastery.
Fr. John received him with exceptional warmth, blessing him with tears
of rejoicing. This student would later become Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia
II, the beloved shepherd who continues to lead the flock of the Georgian
faithful to this very day.

Fr. John disciplined himself severely.
He worked hard all day and slept on a single piece of wood. He would
spend entire nights praying. Many wondered when he rested and where he
had acquired such a seemingly infinite supply of energy.

Occasionally
thieves would steal food or domestic animals from the monastery. But
the monastery also had many protectors, even within the Soviet
government. A group of Christians who worked for the government while
secretly practicing their faith supported Fr. John and Fr. George
(Mkheidze) (see below), explaining and justifying them to the government
as “guardians of a national cultural monument.”

Many of the
miracles performed by Fr. John are known to us today, though he was wary
of receiving honor for his deeds. Frs. John and George healed the deaf,
and many of the terminally ill were brought to them for healing. After
spending several days in the monastery, the infirm would miraculously be
cleansed of their diseases. Fr. John bore the heaviest workload in the
monastery. He sympathized deeply with Fr. George, who was ailing
physically and unfit for strenuous labor. But Fr. John departed this
life before Fr. George. Fr. John became ill and reposed in 1957, at the
age of seventy-five. He was buried at Betania Monastery.

Fr.
George (Mkheidze) was born in the village of Skhvava in the Racha region
around 1877. He received a military education—a highly esteemed
commodity among the Georgian aristocracy—but instead of pursuing a
military career in defense of the Russian empire, he dedicated himself
to Georgia’s national liberation movement. At one point the pious and
learned George worked for St. Ilia the Righteous as his personal
secretary. He often met St. Ilia’s spiritual father, the holy hierarch
Alexandre (Okropiridze), and the holy hieromartyr Nazar (Lezhava), and
he was acquainted with other important spiritual leaders of the time as
well.

Desiring to sacrifice his life to God, George was tonsured
into monasticism by the holy hieromartyr Nazar. His rare character
combined a nobleman’s deportment with a monk’s humble asceticism. Fr.
George was ordained a priest and soon after elevated to the rank of
archimandrite.

Filled with divine love and patriotic sentiment,
the holy father willingly endured the heavy burdens and spiritual
tribulations afflicting his country at that time.

In 1924, while
Fr. George was laboring at Khirsa Monastery in Kakheti in eastern
Georgia, an armed Chekist mob broke into the monastery. The perpetrators
beat him, cut off his hair, shaved his beard, and threatened to take
his life. He sought refuge with his family, but to no avail—his
brothers, who were atheists, shaved off his beard while he was sleeping.
(One of Fr. George’s brothers later committed suicide, and the other,
together with his wife, was shot to death by the Chekists.) In the same
year, Fr. George visited Betania Monastery and was introduced to Fr.
John (Maisuradze), with whom he would labor for the remainder of his
life.

Fr. George’s health was poor, and he was able to perform
only the lightest of tasks around the monastery. He tended the vegetable
garden and took responsibility for raising the bees. He was extremely
generous. At times he would give all the monastery’s food to the needy,
assuring Fr. John that God Himself would provide their daily bread.

Tall,
thin, and with an upright posture, Fr. George was strict in both
appearance and demeanor. He spoke very little with other people, and
children did not play with him as they did with Fr. John. Knowing his
character, they tried to please him by reciting prayers and behaving
themselves. Fr. George did not like to leave the monastery, but it was
often necessary for him to travel to Tbilisi to visit his spiritual
children— among whom were many secret Christians who worked for the
government.

Fr. George was endowed with the gifts of prophecy and
healing, but he was careful to hide them. When constrained to reveal
them, he would pass them off as though they were nothing extraordinary.
Once a certain pilgrim arrived at the monastery and was surprised to
discover that Fr. George knew him by name. Sensing his great amazement,
Fr. George told the pilgrim that he had attended his baptism some thirty
years earlier, thus concealing his God-given gift. Fr. George knew in
advance when his nephew was bringing his sisters, whom he had not seen
in forty-eight years, to visit him at the monastery during Great Lent.

Enlightened with this foreknowledge, Fr. George prepared fish and a festal meal in honor of the occasion.
The
prayers of Fr. George and Fr. John healed the former’s nephew, who was
afflicted by a deadly strain of meningitis. They restored hearing to a
deaf child and healed many others of their bodily infirmities.

In
1957, when Fr. John reposed in the Lord, Fr. George was tonsured into
the great schema. He was given the name John in honor of his newly
departed spiritual brother. Fr. George-John now bore full responsibility
for the affairs of the monastery. His health deteriorated further under
the weight of this heavy yoke. His spiritual children began to come
from the city to care for him.

Once a twenty-year-old girl arrived at the monastery, complaining of incessant headaches. She
had
been told that the water from Betania Monastery would heal her. She
remained there for one week and was miraculously healed. When she left
to return home, Fr. George-John walked five miles to see her off, in
spite of his physical frailty.

The Theotokos appeared to Fr.
George-John in a vision and relieved his terrible physical pain. The
protomartyr Thekla also appeared to him, presenting him with a bunch of
grapes. Several days before his repose, the holy father was in the city
when an angel appeared to him and announced his imminent repose. The
angel told him to return to the monastery to prepare for his departure
from this world.

St. George-John (Mkheidze) reposed in 1960. He
was buried at Betania Monastery, next to Fr. John (Maisuradze). These
venerable fathers were canonized on September 18, 2003, at a council of
the Holy Synod under the spiritual leadership of His Holiness Ilia II,
Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia. Frs. John and George-John have been
lovingly deemed “one soul in two bodies.”

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Saint Euthymius of Syanzhemsk and Vologda was born in
Vologda, and received monastic tonsure at the Savior-Stone monastery at
Lake Kuben. For some time he lived in a solitary cell on the River
Kuben, and then gave up the place to St Alexander of Kushta (June 9) and
moved to Syanzhem, where he founded the Ascension monastery and became
its igumen.

St Euthymius died around the year 1465, after
appointing St Chariton (September 28) as his successor. The story of the
appearance of his relics was recorded in the sixteenth century by
Bishop Ioasaph of Vologda, a noted hagiographer of his time.

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Our holy father Anton of Martqopi arrived in Georgia in the 6th
century with the rest of the Thirteen Syrian Fathers and settled in
Kakheti to preach the Gospel of Christ. He always carried with him an
icon of the Savior “Not-Made-By-Hands.” Anton made his home in the
wilderness, and deer visited him every evening to nourish him with their
milk.

One day the deer arrived earlier than expected, and they
were followed by a wounded fawn. Clearly something had frightened them.

When
Anton retraced the animals’ path, he discovered a nobleman, the head of
a nearby village, hunting in the fields. Astonished to see the old monk
with his icon, standing amidst a gathering of deer, the nobleman, being
a pagan, became convinced that he was dangerous and ordered his
servants to take him to a smith and chop off his hands.

Anton was
led at once to the smith, but when the craftsman heated his sword and
drew it above the monk’s hands in preparation, he fell down suddenly and
his arms became like wood.

The daunted smith fell mute, but blessed Anton made the sign of the Cross over him and he was immediately healed.

Having
heard about this miracle, the nobleman perceived that Abba Anton was
truly holy, and he began to hold him in reverence. “Tell me what you
need, and I will provide it for you,” he told Elder Anton. The monk
requested a single piece of salt, and they brought him two large blocks.
He broke off a small piece and placed it near his cell for the deer.

After
the incident at the smith’s, many people began to visit Anton, and the
holy father constructed a monastery for the faithful.

But before
long their attention became burdensome, and Elder Anton fled from the
world to the peak of a mountain. There he began to preach from the top
of a pillar, where he would remain the last fifteen years of his life.

When
God revealed to Fr. Anton the day of his repose, the monk-stylite
gathered his pupils, imparted to them a few last words of wisdom,
blessed them, and died on his knees in front of his beloved icon.

St.
Anton’s body was taken down from the pillar and buried in the monastery
that he had founded, before the icon of the Theotokos.

Sunday, January 17, 2016

Commemorated on January 17
during his reign
(379-395) he delivered a decisive blow to paganism by issuing an edict,
under which any sort of service to the pagan gods was considered a
violation of the law. The zealous proponent of Orthodoxy promulgated
many laws in defense of the Church and against heretics. He convened the
Second Ecumenical Council (381).

He ended his life in Milan in
395 at the age of fifty. St Theodosius often said that he was more
fortunate to be a member of Christ’s holy Church than an emperor.

Saturday, January 16, 2016

Commemorated on January 16
Saint Romilus the Hesychast was the disciple of St Gregory of
Sinai (August 8). He was born in Vidin, Bulgaria of a Greek father and a
Bulgarian mother. As a child, he possessed a maturity beyond his years,
and disdained childish games and pursuits. His friends, and even his
teacher, admired him for his learning and piety.

His parents
wanted to marry him to a woman, but he longed for the monastic life.
When he learned that they planned to force him into marriage, he fled to
the Hodigitria Monastery at Trnovo. The abbot accepted him and tonsured
him with the name Romanus. From the beginning of his life as a monk,
Romanus was known for his virtue and for his humility.

The monk
Romanus, hearing of the monastery established by St Gregory of Sinai in
the wilderness of Paroria, longed to dwell there. Although the abbot
realized that the young man wished to live in a more remote area far
from worldly distractions, he was reluctant to let him go. The desire of
Romanus to go to Paroria grew stronger day by day. He spoke to the
abbot again, and the Elder was grieved at the thought of losing the
exemplary and well-loved Romanus. He realized, however, that keeping
Romanus there might not be according to the will of God. Therefore, he
blessed Romanus to depart, and gave him provisions for his journey.

Romanus
traveled to Paroria with another monk named Hilarion and explained to
St Gregory who they were and that they had come to be his disciples. St
Gregory received them and assigned them to their obediences in the
monastery. Since Hilarion was weaker, he was given lighter duties.
Romanus, who was strong, received heavier labors. He would carry wood
from the mountain, or sometimes stones. He also carried water from the
river, and helped in the kitchen and in the bakery. He even tended the
sick, who seemed to improve under his care. Seeing his humility, his
cheerful obedience, and his piety, the other monks called him “Romanus
the Good.”

Romanus received instruction in the spiritual life from
St Gregory, who trained him to be a great ascetic. When St Gregory fell
asleep in the Lord, Romanus grieved for him day and night. He did not
wish to remain in that place without being subject to an Elder. He found
another instructor who had already accepted Romanus’s fellow-traveler
Hilarion as a disciple. Romanus subjected himself to this Elder, obeying
him as he had obeyed St Gregory.

Because the three monks were
assailed by robbers who deprived them of the necessities of life, they
left Paroria and went back to Zagora. They settled at a place called
Mogrin, about one day’s journey from Trnovo. For some reason, Romanus
left the Elder to dwell in a remote place by himself. Hearing of the
Elder’s death, he returned and fell upon his grave with tears, filled
with regret that he had deserted his instructor. Then he fell at
Hilarion’s feet and said, “Since I disobeyed the Elder’s order and left
this place, I place myself under you from this day forward.” Hilarion,
knowing that Romanus surpassed him in virtue, would not agree to this.
Romanus insisted saying, “Unless you accept me under your authority, I
shall not get up from the ground.” Seeing his great humility, Hilarion
finally agreed to accept Romanus.

Hearing that the robbers had
been subdued by Tsar Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria, Romanus and Hilarion
decided to go back to Paroria, where they could live in solitude and
contemplation. Later, Romanus was tonsured into the Great Schema with
the name Romilus.

The incursions of the Moslems forced Romilus to
return yet again to Zagora, where he built a hut in a remote place.
Other monks in the area, through envy or jealousy, resented Romilus, so
he traveled to Mt. Athos. There many monks came to him for spiritual
counsel, and they disturbed his quietude. Fleeing human glory, he went
from place to place until he came to Mt. Melana near Karyes. Even there,
monks gathered around him, and he was able to console and instruct them
for their profit. He taught them to wage war against the passions, and
against the demons who seek the destruction of the soul. He also taught
them to love God and their neighbor, seeking the good things which eye
has not seen, nor ear heard (I Cor. 2:9).

Not only did he correct
his own disciples, but sometimes an Elder would send his disciples to St
Romilus for correction. He urged them not to question or contradict
their Elder’s orders, but to obey him just as Christ obeyed the will of
the Father (John 6:38). He warned them that those who refuse to submit
to authority are easily led astray by the Enemy. He also urged the
Elders to be gentle with their disciples, and to avoid harsh
treatment.

Once
again, the number of monks who sought spiritual conversation with him
hindered his own spiritual struggles and prayer. Therefore, he moved to
the northern part of Mt. Athos and built a cell where he could live in
solitude. The more he fled worldly glory, however, the more this glory
found him. When the location of his cell became known, they flocked to
him just as before.

The Serbian despot John Ugljela was killed by
the Turks at the Battle of Marica on September 26, 1371. This allowed
the Moslems to attack Mt. Athos, so many of the monks (including St
Romilus) fled to other places. St Romilus went to Valona in Albania. He
thought that in this obscure place he would find solitude, but he was
mistaken. Many monks and laymen came to him, afflicted with ignorance,
enslaved to base passions, with no shepherd to guide them. Through his
words and his example, he led many from darkness into the light of
Christ.

St Romilus left Valona with his disciples and moved to
Ravenica in Serbia, where there was a monastery dedicated to the Most
Holy Theotokos. He settled near this place with his disciples. In 1375,
he surrendered his soul to God and went to the heavenly Kingdom. It is
said that his grave emitted an ineffable fragrance.
Even after
his death, St Romilus performed great miracles, casting out demons, and
healing all sorts of diseases and suffering. Through his holy prayers,
may we obtain the forgiveness of our sins and great mercy from Christ
our God, to Whom is due all glory, honor and worship, together with His
unoriginate Father, and the Most Holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now
and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen..

Friday, January 15, 2016

Commemorated on January 15
Saint Prochorus of Pshina pursued asceticism in the Bransk
wilderness at the River Pshina, and he founded a monastery there. He is
renowned as one of the great ascetics of monastic life. He died at the
end of the tenth century. Miracles occurred from the saint’s relics.
According to the Serbian Chronicles, the pious King Miliutin (1276-1320)
built a church in honor of St Prochorus.

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Commemorated on January 14
Saint Theodulus was the son of St Nilus the Faster (November
12), and he recorded the slaughter of the holy Fathers at Raithu in the
fifth century. While still a child, St Theodulus left the world and went
to Mount Sinai with his father.

During a barbarian assault on
the desert dwellers, the saint fell into the hands of brigands, who
decided to offer the youth as a sacrifice to the morning dawn, which
they worshipped in place of God. But the Lord saved the boy through the
prayers of his father, St Nilus. The barbarians slept past sunrise, and
giving up on the idea of making him a sacrificial offering, they took
the youth with them.

Brought by the brigands to the city of
Eluza, St Theodulus was ransomed by the local bishop, in whose house he
was later found by his grateful father. Blessed by the bishop and
presbyters, Sts Theodulus and Nilus returned to Mount Sinai, where they
served the Lord until the end of their days. Their incorrupt relics were
transferred to Constantinople under Emperor Justin the Younger
(565-578) and placed in the church of the holy Apostles at
Orphanotrophia.

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

The holy virgin Nina was from Cappadocia. According to some, her
father Zabulon was a friend of the holy Great Martyr George, whose
father was a Cappadocian. The conversion of Georgia by Saint Nina is
reported in the Church histories of Rufinus, Socrates, Sozomen, and
Theodoret: Rufinus, writing less than a hundred years after Saint Nina,
said that he heard the history in Jerusalem from a Georgian Prince named
Bacurius. Saint Nina was taken captive by the Georgians (whom the Greek
accounts call Iberians), and while in captivity she lived a very devout
life of sobriety and virtue, praying unceasingly night and day; this
drew the attention of the Georgians, and to all who asked her about her
way of life, she preached the dispensation of Christ. When she healed by
her prayer a certain woman's sick child, whom no one else had been able
to help, the report of her came to the ears of the Queen of Georgia,
who was herself gravely afflicted with an incurable malady. She asked
that the captive woman be brought to her, but Saint Nina declined out of
modesty, so the Queen commanded them to carry her to Nina. Saint Nina
healed her immediately, and the Queen returned home in joy. When she
extolled Nina and her faith to the king, he gave her no heed, although
she mentioned it to him often. But while hunting in the forest, he was
shrouded with an impenetrable darkness in which he lost his way, became
separated from his men, and fell into despair; he made a vow that if
Christ should deliver him, he would worship him alone. The light of day
straightway shone again, and the king fulfilled his vow. He and the
Queen were instructed in the Faith by Saint Nina, and they with the
whole Georgian nation became Christ's. The King also sent an embassy to
Saint Constantine the Great, informing him of their conversion, and
requesting that priests be sent to Georgia. Saint Nina reposed in peace
in about the year 335. The above-mentioned Church historians speak of
her without calling her Nina. She is celebrated in the Roman Martyrology
on December 15 under the name Christina.

Apolytikion of Nina of Georgia in the Fourth Tone

O handmaid of the Word of God, who in preaching hast equaled the
first-called Apostle Andrew, and hast emulated the other Apostles; O
enlightener of Iberia and reed-pipe of the Holy Spirit, holy Nina, equal
to the Apostles: Pray to Christ God to save our souls.

Kontakion of Nina of Georgia in the Second Tone

O come ye all today and let us sing praise to the chosen one of
Christ, the equal of the Apostles, the preacher of God's word, the wise
bearer of good tidings, who hath brought the people of Kartalina to the
path of life and truth; she is the disciple of the Mother of God, our
zealous intercessor and unwearying guardian, the most praised Nina.

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Lord, when You were baptized in the Jordan, the veneration of the
Trinity was revealed. For the voice of the Father gave witness to You,
calling You Beloved, and the Spirit, in the guise of a dove, confirmed
the certainty of His words. Glory to You, Christ our God, who appeared
and enlightened the world.

Kontakion of Theophany Afterfeast in the Fourth Tone

You appeared to the world today, and Your light, O Lord, has left
its mark upon us. With fuller understanding we sing to You: "You came,
You were made manifest, the unapproachable light."

Monday, January 11, 2016

The fifth day of the Afterfeast of Theophany falls on January 11. Many
of the hymns of this period glorify Christ as God Who sanctifies the
waters of Jordan by being baptized in them.

TROPARION - TONE 4

Of old, the river Jordan / turned back before Elisha’s mantle at
Elijah’s ascension. / The waters were parted in two / and the waterway
became a dry path. / This is truly a symbol of baptism / by which we
pass through this mortal life. / Christ has appeared in the Jordan to
sanctify the waters!

KONTAKION - TONE 4

Today the Lord enters the Jordan and cries out to John: / “Do not be
afraid to baptize me. / For I have come to save Adam, the first-formed
man.”

Sunday, January 10, 2016

Commemorated on January 10
Saint Macarius of Pisma and Kostroma was a fellow ascetic of
St Paul of Obnora. In the second half of the fourteenth century, he
founded the Makariev Transfiguration monastery at the River Pisma on the
outskirts of Kostroma.

Saturday, January 09, 2016

Saint Polyeuctus, a soldier in rank, contested during the
reign of Valerian, in the year 255. He was from Melitene, a city in
Armenia.

Apolytikion of Martyr Polyeuctus in the Fourth Tone

Thy Martyr, O Lord, in his courageous contest for Thee received
the prize of the crowns of incorruption and life from Thee, our immortal
God. For since he possessed Thy strength, he cast down the tyrants and
wholly destroyed the demons' strengthless presumption. O Christ God,
by his prayers, save our souls, since Thou art merciful.

Kontakion of Martyr Polyeuctus in the Fourth Tone

When the Saviour bowed His head within the Jordan, there He
crushed the dragons' heads; as for His trophy-bearing Saint, when
Polyeuctus head was cut off, he put to shame the deceiver and wily foe.

Friday, January 08, 2016

Saint Helladius suffered with St Theophilus the deacon. After
confessing Christ before the governor of Libya, they were tortured and
slain.

TROPARION - TONE 4

Your holy martyrs Helladius and Theophilus, O Lord, / Through their suffering have
received an incorruptible crown from You, our God. / For having Your
strength, they laid low their adversaries, / And shattered the powerless
boldness of demons. / Through their intercessions, save our souls!

Thursday, January 07, 2016

On the first day of the Afterfeast of Theophany, the Church extols St
John the Baptist as the greatest man born of a woman. He surpasses all
the ancient prophets because he baptized the Messiah, Whose coming he
foretold.

TROPARION - TONE 1

When You, O Lord were baptized in the Jordan / The worship of the
Trinity was made manifest / For the voice of the Father bore witness to
You / And called You His beloved Son. / And the Spirit, in the form of a
dove, / Confirmed the truthfulness of His word. / O Christ, our God,
You have revealed Yourself / And have enlightened the world, glory to
You!

KONTAKION - TONE 4

Today You have shown forth to the world, O Lord, / and the light of Your
countenance has been marked on us. / Knowing You, we sing Your praises.
/ You have come and revealed Yourself, / O unapproachable Light.

Wednesday, January 06, 2016

Theophany is the Feast which reveals the Most Holy Trinity to the
world through the Baptism of the Lord (Mt.3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke
3:21-22). God the Father spoke from Heaven about the Son, the Son was
baptized by St John the Forerunner, and the Holy Spirit descended
upon the Son in the form of a dove. From ancient times this Feast was
called the Day of Illumination and the Feast of Lights, since God is
Light and has appeared to illumine “those who sat in darkness,” and “in
the region of the shadow of death” (Mt.4:16), and to save the fallen
race of mankind by grace.

In the ancient Church it was the custom
to baptize catechumens at the Vespers of Theophany, so that Baptism
also is revealed as the spiritual illumination of mankind.

The
origin of the Feast of Theophany goes back to Apostolic times, and it is
mentioned in The Apostolic Constitutions (Book V:13). From the second
century we have the testimony of St Clement of Alexandria concerning the
celebration of the Baptism of the Lord, and the night vigil before this
Feast.

There is a third century dialogue about the services for
Theophany between the holy martyr Hippolytus and St Gregory the
Wonderworker. In the following centuries, from the fourth to ninth
century, all the great Fathers of the Church: Gregory the Theologian,
John Chrysostom, Ambrose of Milan, John of Damascus, commented on the
Feast of Theophany.

The monks Joseph the Studite, Theophanes and
Byzantios composed much liturgical music for this Feast, which is sung
at Orthodox services even today. St John of Damascus said that the Lord
was baptized, not because He Himself had need for cleansing, but “to
bury human sin by water,” to fulfill the Law, to reveal the mystery of
the Holy Trinity, and finally, to sanctify “the nature of water” and to
offer us the form and example of Baptism.

On the Feast of the
Baptism of Christ, the Holy Church proclaims our faith in the most
sublime mystery, incomprehensible to human intellect, of one God in
three Persons. It teaches us to confess and glorify the Holy Trinity,
one in Essence and Indivisible. It exposes and overthrows the errors of
ancient teachings which attempted to explain the Creator of the world by
reason, and in human terms.

The Church shows the necessity of
Baptism for believers in Christ, and it inspires us with a sense of deep
gratitude for the illumination and purification of our sinful nature.
The Church teaches that our salvation and cleansing from sin is possible
only by the power of the grace of the Holy Spirit, therefore it is
necessary to preserve worthily these gifts of the grace of holy Baptism,
keeping clean this priceless garb, for “As many as have been baptized
into Christ, have put on Christ” (Gal 3:27).

On the day of Theophany, all foods are permitted, even if the Feast falls on a Wednesday or Friday.

TROPARION - TONE 1

When You, O Lord were baptized in the Jordan / The worship of the
Trinity was made manifest / For the voice of the Father bore witness to
You / And called You His beloved Son. / And the Spirit, in the form of a
dove, / Confirmed the truthfulness of His word. / O Christ, our God,
You have revealed Yourself / And have enlightened the world, glory to
You!

KONTAKION - TONE 4

Today You have shown forth to the world, O Lord, / and the light of Your
countenance has been marked on us. / Knowing You, we sing Your praises.
/ You have come and revealed Yourself, / O unapproachable Light.

Tuesday, January 05, 2016

Commemorated on January 5
Saint Menas lived in asceticism for more than fifty years in
the monastery of Sinai, where he died peacefully in the second half of
the sixth century. Myrrh flowed from his holy relics. St John Climacus
speaks of this wonderful man in THE LADDER OF DIVINE ASCENT (Step 4:34).

Monday, January 04, 2016

The Holy Apostle Ananias of the Seventy was the first Bishop of
Damascus. The Lord ordered him to restore the sight of Saul, the former
persecutor of Christians, then baptize him (Acts 9:10-19, 22:12). Saul
became the great preacher and Apostle Paul. St Ananias boldly and openly
confessed Christianity before the Jews and the pagans, despite the
danger.

From Damascus he went to preach at Eleutheropolis, where
he healed many of their infirmities. Lucian, the prefect of the city,
tried to persuade the holy one to offer sacrifice to idols. Because of
Ananias’ staunch and solid confession of Christ, Lucian ordered that he
be tortured. Harsh torments did not sway the witness of Truth. Then the
torturers led him out beyond the city, where they stoned him. The saint
prayed for those who put him to death. His relics were later transferred
to Constantinople.

The Church ever sees you as a shining star, O apostle Ananias, / Your
miracles have manifested great enlightenment. / Therefore we cry out to
Christ: / “Save those who with faith honor Your apostle, O Most Merciful
One.”

Sunday, January 03, 2016

Angelic powers were above Thy tomb, and they that guarded Thee
became as dead. And Mary stood by the grave seeking Thine immaculate
Body. Thou hast despoiled Hades and wast not tried thereby. Thou didst
meet the Virgin and didst grant us life. O Thou Who didst arise from
the dead, Lord, glory be to Thee.

Apolytikion of Sun. before Epiphany in the Fourth Tone

Make ready O Zebulum; Prepare yourself O Naphthali; Cease to flow
O River Jordan; Receive the Master who comes to be baptized, in joy.
Adam, rejoice with the first mother. Do not hide in Paradise, as before,
for He came to see us, even naked, that He might clothe us as we were
before. Christ has appeared to renew all creation.

Seasonal Kontakion in the Fourth Tone

In the running waters of the Jordan River, on this day the Lord
of all crieth to John: Be not afraid and hesitate not to baptize Me,
for I am come to save Adam, the first-formed man.

Saturday, January 02, 2016

Commemorated on January 2
Saint Sylvester of the Caves lived during the twelfth century
and was igumen of the Mikhailovsk Vydubitsk monastery at Kiev. He
continued the work of St Nestor the Chronicler (October 27) and he wrote
nine Lives of the holy saints of the Kiev Caves. In the service to the
Fathers venerated in the Near Caves, St Sylvester is called blessed and
endowed with “a miraculous gift to ward off demonic suggestions (Ode 9
of the Canon). St Sylvester was buried in the Near Caves, and his memory
is celebrated on September 28, and on the second Sunday of Great Lent.

Friday, January 01, 2016

Saint Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, "belongs
not to the Church of Caesarea alone, nor merely to his own time, nor
was he of benefit only to his own kinsmen, but rather to all lands and
cities worldwide, and to all people he brought and still brings benefit,
and for Christians he always was and will be a most salvific teacher."
Thus spoke St Basil's contemporary, St Amphilochius, Bishop of Iconium.

St
Basil was born in the year 330 at Caesarea, the administrative center
of Cappadocia. He was of illustrious lineage, famed for its eminence and
wealth, and zealous for the Christian Faith. The saint's grandfather
and grandmother on his father's side had to hide in the forests of
Pontus for seven years during the persecution under Diocletian.

St
Basil's mother St Emilia was the daughter of a martyr. On the Greek
calendar, she is commemorated on May 30. St Basil's father was also
named Basil. He was a lawyer and renowned rhetorician, and lived at
Caesarea.

Ten children were born to the elder Basil and
Emilia: five sons and five daughters. Five of them were later numbered
among the saints: Basil the Great; Macrina (July 19) was an exemplar of
ascetic life, and exerted strong influence on the life and character of
St Basil the Great; Gregory, afterwards Bishop of Nyssa (January 10);
Peter, Bishop of Sebaste (January 9); and Theosebia, a deaconess
(January 10).

St Basil spent the first years of his life on
an estate belonging to his parents at the River Iris, where he was
raised under the supervision of his mother Emilia and grandmother
Macrina. They were women of great refinement, who remembered an earlier
bishop of Cappadocia, St Gregory the Wonderworker (November 17). Basil
received his initial education under the supervision of his father, and
then he studied under the finest teachers in Caesarea of Cappadocia, and
it was here that he made the acquaintance of St Gregory the Theologian
(January 25 and January 30). Later, Basil transferred to a school at
Constantinople, where he listened to eminent orators and philosophers.
To complete his education St Basil went to Athens, the center of
classical enlightenment.

After a four or five year stay at
Athens, Basil had mastered all the available disciplines. "He studied
everything thoroughly, more than others are wont to study a single
subject. He studied each science in its very totality, as though he
would study nothing else." Philosopher, philologist, orator, jurist,
naturalist, possessing profound knowledge in astronomy, mathematics and
medicine, "he was a ship fully laden with learning, to the extent
permitted by human nature."

At Athens a close friendship
developed between Basil the Great and Gregory the Theologian
(Nazianzus), which continued throughout their life. In fact, they
regarded themselves as one soul in two bodies. Later on, in his eulogy
for Basil the Great, St Gregory the Theologian speaks with delight about
this period: "Various hopes guided us, and indeed inevitably, in
learning... Two paths opened up before us: the one to our sacred temples
and the teachers therein; the other towards preceptors of disciplines
beyond."

About the year 357, St Basil returned to Caesarea,
where for a while he devoted himself to rhetoric. But soon, refusing
offers from Caesarea's citizens who wanted to entrust him with the
education of their offspring, St Basil entered upon the path of ascetic
life.

After the death of her husband, Basil's mother, her
eldest daughter Macrina, and several female servants withdrew to the
family estate at Iris and there began to lead an ascetic life. Basil was
baptized by Dianios, the Bishop of Caesarea, and was tonsured a Reader
(On the Holy Spirit, 29). He first read the Holy Scriptures to the
people, then explained them.

Later on, "wishing to acquire a
guide to the knowledge of truth", the saint undertook a journey into
Egypt, Syria and Palestine, to meet the great Christian ascetics
dwelling there. On returning to Cappadocia, he decided to do as they
did. He distributed his wealth to the needy, then settled on the
opposite side of the river not far from his mother Emilia and sister
Macrina, gathering around him monks living a cenobitic life.

By
his letters, Basil drew his good friend Gregory the Theologian to the
monastery. Sts Basil and Gregory labored in strict abstinence in their
dwelling place, which had no roof or fireplace, and the food was very
humble. They themselves cleared away the stones, planted and watered the
trees, and carried heavy loads. Their hands were constantly calloused
from the hard work. For clothing Basil had only a tunic and monastic
mantle. He wore a hairshirt, but only at night, so that it would not be
obvious.

In their solitude, Sts Basil and Gregory occupied
themselves in an intense study of Holy Scripture. They were guided by
the writings of the Fathers and commentators of the past, especially the
good writings of Origen. From all these works they compiled an
anthology called Philokalia. Also at this time, at the request of the
monks, St Basil wrote down a collection of rules for virtuous life. By
his preaching and by his example St Basil assisted in the spiritual
perfection of Christians in Cappadocia and Pontus; and many indeed
turned to him. Monasteries were organized for men and for women, in
which places Basil sought to combine the cenobitic (koine bios, or
common) lifestyle with that of the solitary hermit.

During
the reign of Constantius (337-361) the heretical teachings of Arius were
spreading, and the Church summoned both its saints into service. St
Basil returned to Caesarea. In the year 362 he was ordained deacon by
Bishop Meletius of Antioch. In 364 he was ordained to the holy
priesthood by Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea. "But seeing," as Gregory the
Theologian relates, "that everyone exceedingly praised and honored Basil
for his wisdom and reverence, Eusebius, through human weakness,
succumbed to jealousy of him, and began to show dislike for him." The
monks rose up in defense of St Basil. To avoid causing Church discord,
Basil withdrew to his own monastery and concerned himself with the
organization of monasteries.

With the coming to power of the
emperor Valens (364-378), who was a resolute adherent of Arianism, a
time of troubles began for Orthodoxy, the onset of a great struggle. St
Basil hastily returned to Caesarea at the request of Bishop Eusebius. In
the words of Gregory the Theologian, he was for Bishop Eusebius "a good
advisor, a righteous representative, an expounder of the Word of God, a
staff for the aged, a faithful support in internal matters, and an
activist in external matters."

From this time church
governance passed over to Basil, though he was subordinate to the
hierarch. He preached daily, and often twice, in the morning and in the
evening. During this time St Basil composed his Liturgy. He wrote a work
"On the Six Days of Creation" (Hexaemeron) and another on the Prophet
Isaiah in sixteen chapters, yet another on the Psalms, and also a second
compilation of monastic rules. St Basil wrote also three books "Against
Eunomius," an Arian teacher who, with the help of Aristotelian
concepts, had presented the Arian dogma in philosophic form, converting
Christian teaching into a logical scheme of rational concepts.

St
Gregory the Theologian, speaking about the activity of Basil the Great
during this period, points to "the caring for the destitute and the
taking in of strangers, the supervision of virgins, written and
unwritten monastic rules for monks, the arrangement of prayers
[Liturgy], the felicitous arrangement of altars and other things." Upon
the death of Eusebius, the Bishop of Caesarea, St Basil was chosen to
succed him in the year 370. As Bishop of Caesarea, St Basil the Great
was the newest of fifty bishops in eleven provinces. St Athanasius the
Great (May 2), with joy and with thanks to God welcomed the appointment
to Cappadocia of such a bishop as Basil, famed for his reverence, deep
knowledge of Holy Scripture, great learning, and his efforts for the
welfare of Church peace and unity.

Under Valens, the external
government belonged to the Arians, who held various opinions regarding
the divinity of the Son of God, and were divided into several factions.
These dogmatic disputes were concerned with questions about the Holy
Spirit. In his books Against Eunomios, St Basil the Great taught the
divinity of the Holy Spirit and His equality with the Father and the
Son. Subsequently, in order to provide a full explanation of Orthodox
teaching on this question, St Basil wrote his book On the Holy Spirit at
the request of St Amphilochius, the Bishop of Iconium.

St
Basil's difficulties were made worse by various circumstances:
Cappadocia was divided in two under the rearrangement of provincial
districts. Then at Antioch a schism occurred, occasioned by the
consecration of a second bishop. There was the negative and haughty
attitude of Western bishops to the attempts to draw them into the
struggle with the Arians. And there was also the departure of Eustathius
of Sebaste over to the Arian side. Basil had been connected to him by
ties of close friendship. Amidst the constant perils St Basil gave
encouragement to the Orthodox, confirmed them in the Faith, summoning
them to bravery and endurance. The holy bishop wrote numerous letters to
the churches, to bishops, to clergy and to individuals. Overcoming the
heretics "by the weapon of his mouth, and by the arrows of his letters,"
as an untiring champion of Orthodoxy, St Basil challenged the hostility
and intrigues of the Arian heretics all his life. He has been compared
to a bee, stinging the Church's enemies, yet nourishing his flock with
the sweet honey of his teaching.

The emperor Valens,
mercilessly sending into exile any bishop who displeased him, and having
implanted Arianism into other Asia Minor provinces, suddenly appeared
in Cappadocia for this same purpose. He sent the prefect Modestus to St
Basil. He began to threaten the saint with the confiscation of his
property, banishment, beatings, and even death.

St Basil said,
"If you take away my possessions, you will not enrich yourself, nor
will you make me a pauper. You have no need of my old worn-out clothing,
nor of my few books, of which the entirety of my wealth is comprised.
Exile means nothing to me, since I am bound to no particular place. This
place in which I now dwell is not mine, and any place you send me shall
be mine. Better to say: every place is God's. Where would I be neither a
stranger and sojourner (Ps. 38/39:13)? Who can torture me? I am so
weak, that the very first blow would render me insensible. Death would
be a kindness to me, for it will bring me all the sooner to God, for
Whom I live and labor, and to Whom I hasten."

The official was stunned by his answer. "No one has ever spoken so audaciously to me," he said.

"Perhaps,"
the saint remarked, " that is because you've never spoken to a bishop
before. In all else we are meek, the most humble of all. But when it
concerns God, and people rise up against Him, then we, counting
everything else as naught, look to Him alone. Then fire, sword, wild
beasts and iron rods that rend the body, serve to fill us with joy,
rather than fear."

Reporting to Valens that St Basil was not
to be intimidated, Modestus said, "Emperor, we stand defeated by a
leader of the Church." Basil the Great again showed firmness before the
emperor and his retinue and made such a strong impression on Valens that
the emperor dared not give in to the Arians demanding Basil's exile.
"On the day of Theophany, amidst an innumerable multitude of the people,
Valens entered the church and mixed in with the throng, in order to
give the appearance of being in unity with the Church. When the singing
of Psalms began in the church, it was like thunder to his hearing. The
emperor beheld a sea of people, and in the altar and all around was
splendor; in front of all was Basil, who acknowledged neither by gesture
nor by glance, that anything else was going on in church." Everything
was focused only on God and the altar-table, and the clergy serving
there in awe and reverence.

St Basil celebrated the church
services almost every day. He was particularly concerned about the
strict fulfilling of the Canons of the Church, and took care that only
worthy individuals should enter into the clergy. He incessantly made the
rounds of his own church, lest anywhere there be an infraction of
Church discipline, and setting aright any unseemliness. At Caesarea, St
Basil built two monasteries, a men's and a women's, with a church in
honor of the Forty Martyrs (March 9) whose relics were buried there.
Following the example of monks, the saint's clergy, even deacons and
priests, lived in remarkable poverty, to toil and lead chaste and
virtuous lives. For his clergy St Basil obtained an exemption from
taxation. He used all his personal wealth and the income from his church
for the benefit of the destitute; in every center of his diocese he
built a poor-house; and at Caesarea, a home for wanderers and the
homeless.

Sickly since youth, the toil of teaching, his life of
abstinence, and the concerns and sorrows of pastoral service took their
toll on him. St Basil died on January 1, 379 at age 49. Shortly before
his death, the saint blessed St Gregory the Theologian to accept the See
of Constantinople.

Upon the repose of St Basil, the Church
immediately began to celebrate his memory. St Amphilochius, Bishop of
Iconium (November 23), in his eulogy to St Basil the Great, said: "It is
neither without a reason nor by chance that holy Basil has taken leave
from the body and had repose from the world unto God on the day of the
Circumcision of Jesus, celebrated between the day of the Nativity and
the day of the Baptism of Christ. Therefore, this most blessed one,
preaching and praising the Nativity and Baptism of Christ, extolling
spiritual circumcision, himself forsaking the flesh, now ascends to
Christ on the sacred day of remembrance of the Circumcision of Christ.
Therefore, let it also be established on this present day annually to
honor the memory of Basil the Great festively and with solemnity."

St
Basil is also called "the revealer of heavenly mysteries"
(Ouranophantor), a "renowned and bright star," and "the glory and beauty
of the Church." His honorable head is in the Great Lavra on Mount
Athos.

In some countries it is customary to sing special carols
today in honor of St Basil. He is believed to visit the homes of the
faithful, and a place is set for him at the table. People visit the
homes of friends and relatives, and the mistress of the house gives a
small gift to the children. A special bread (Vasilopita) is blessed and
distributed after the Liturgy. A silver coin is baked into the bread,
and whoever receives the slice with the coin is said to receive the
blessing of St Basil for the coming year.

Troparion - Tone 1

Your proclamation has gone out into all the earthWhich was divinely
taught by hearing your voiceExpounding the nature of creatures,Ennobling
the manners of men.O holy father of a royal priesthood,Entreat Christ
God that our souls may be saved.

Kontakion - Tone 4

You were revealed as the sure foundation of the Church, granting all
mankind a lordship which cannot be taken away, sealing it with your
precepts, venerable Basil, revealer of heaven.

Kontakion - Tone 4

You were revealed as the sure foundation of the Church,Granting all men
a lordship which cannot be taken away,Sealing it with your precepts,O
Venerable and Heavenly Father Basil.